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Sunday, 30 November 2014

A film by Michael Powell presents us with a different view
of a nunnery, a group of nuns travel to the Himalayas and set up a convent atop
a windy mountain range, in the Palace of Mopu, near Darjeeling, to set up a
school and hospital for the local people. This Palace was used to house the
servants and female prostitutes, and there are subliminal images on the wall
that suggest that this ‘’fun’’ house was very ‘’practical’’. This was part of the strong influences of
tension and the temptations surrounding the site, the weakened sprinted Nuns
seemed to fall prey to these images and their perverted vibe. Lathier describes,
"Michael Powell was right when he
called Black Narcissus an "erotic film," but the attraction is pure
Pygmalionism"(Lathier, 2012).

It’s not just the sexual diversions that make up this film.
Bagatavicius, in Off-Screen describes it as follows. ‘’Although Black Narcissus can be seen as a hybrid of genres – from
colonial or religious satire to melodramatic art film and noir thriller – for
the sake of this analysis, it might best be construed as a ‘dark fairy tale’;
as borrowing the fantastical, oneiric qualities of a remote enchanted world.’’
(Bagatavicius, 2012.) This can be seen throughout the movie – or rather as the
movie progresses, the colour scheme and the characters change as the movie goes
on. With the main focus on Sister Ruth who has been hit with this temptation
the hardest. With the scene that she removes her nun outfit and dresses in a dress
and puts on the lipstick, the movies vibe takes a dramatic leap into the
thriller zone with the amount of red being exposed and the creepy facial expressions
she pulls throughout the film, see figure 2 and 3.

Fig 2 - Start of the seduction.

Fig 3 - Sister Ruth after being rejected.

The colour red is a symbol for sexual desire in this film.
It starts with the scene that sister Ruth comes bursting into the room covered
in blood. Bagatavicius describes it well, ‘’From
then on, she Ruth is more woman than nun. Her white habit, splashed with blood,
indicates the sexing of the character. In the same image, menstrual blood and
the symbolical loss of virginity are displayed, as they will be again later in
the red dress that will replace the uniform and advertise her difference from
the rest.’’(Bagatavicius, 2012.) As this movie was released in an era where
displaying the sexual act, and women dominance was not prohibited, this was the
closest film-makers can get to displaying the sexual desires of a woman. In a
dark way of course, Ruth is the symbol of this rebel act. Bagatavicius
continues to explain, ‘’As implied by
Thiéry, these two moments – her barging into the room, and her revelatory
changing of outfits – are bookends to her ‘monstrous’ transformation from
tainted, fraudulent nun to carnal, frenzied woman.’’(Bagatavicius, 2012.)

With strong, powerful camera angles, stills, and matte
paintings. Black Narcissus, displays
some really empathic camera usages, as Lanthier describes; ‘’Powell icily builds tension with unmerciful
scenarios, but his camerawork is some of the most empathic in cinema; his
perspective-oriented angles and fluid, slight dollies evince a loyal concern
for what and how his characters are thinking and feeling.’’ (Lanthier,2012).
One very powerful scene is when the sister is standing at the edge on the cliff
looking over the edge, here she sees how high up in the heavens they are,
closer to god but not further from temptation. (See Figure 4)

Fig 4. Camera Angle and Matte Painting

This reflects
back to the idea of being a fantastical movie – it would be the idea of a Castle
in the Clouds, the perfect setting for a woman to live and dream of – or desire.

In conclusion, past the suggested horror/thriller, fantasy
and dark nature of this film, it’s basically a description of both a woman’s
hidden struggles when it comes to dealing with temptation, sexual desire,
isolation and the male embodiment.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

SO I took these with my phone, the concept is that we did 5 min, 1 min and 30 second studies. At the end we did a longer study where we could focus on one area, like the hands; feet, head and anywhere else really. We could use any medium and our sketchbook.

So I edited the image, lowered the mountain so that the building grew up above it and I tried to use both an example of Erte's work for the colour pallet and Art Deco (for example from the Crystal Building) to change the top of the spire. Also I can't see if the colours are the same - being shade colour blind does have a bad effect when you've been staring at bright colours all night. I want to use this as my final idea as I really do love the composition and angle. Also it seems my creative partner's also like the arrangement. I just don't know which ones to use as the colour comp. And I request help on the painting as the lasso tool isn't really being friendly with me right now. I also don't understand what you meant Phil, about how it doesn't encompass Erte's sharp crisp forms? Are you referring to the fact that the lines are scratchy and sketchy? Or not straight and generic? I'm rather confused in that matter.

Monday, 17 November 2014

So after my quick feed back I extended my original drawing and - poorly - coloured it. Using some of Erte's work as a color template. Probably not what you was talking about Jordan, but my tablet is having comparability issues at home - I will be continuing this experimentation tomorrow long side working on my othrographs.

So in the photoshop tutorial lesson, I spent a long time, maybe too long, on this thumbnail because I really liked how it was going and how the angle ended up. I used this method I found for an easy perspective grid using a octagon shape and then just started drawing.

With a 3 hour catch up lesson I still have not managed to catch up completely, but I have been working on the UV mapping of the set! Progress!! Too many colours, it hurts my eyes. So I guess a break would be good.

Sunday, 16 November 2014

So I decided, after having a quick conversation with Phil yesterday I thought about creating a little more on the 3D modelling scale. And I am planning on making a colour comp with these. But I was evidently experimenting with angles to see which looks right. - The way the model turned out is actually an accident when I scaled the blocks.

Friday, 14 November 2014

So I spent most part of my evening attempting to build one of my thumbnails in Maya to test what it may look like, I need to colour it in photoshop but I do not know how to 3D map/colour yet. But this alone took me 2 hours, sort of panicking now as I don't know what definitive idea to go for? I seem to be leaning towards this Art Deco themed frontal building, with the housing buildings aligning it and setting themselves back. With the mountains behind it..

Thursday, 13 November 2014

There seems to be a constant arrangement I seem to be venturing back to when I try and design my city. In all honesty, I have no idea what and how to progress from here considering I need a full concept art done by Wednesday. I need people's opinions (looking at my other thumbs) and ones that I aim to post by Sunday.

So I have been working on some sketches in response to the Photoshop tutorial session with Jordan, I know the quality is not very good - I scanned the images from my sketchbooks. Thumbnails 85-91 are brush preset ideas I could use to create textures/patterns/brushes for the concept art based on design patterns within Erte's work. I really like number 77, as this was and honestly is the only one there that makes actual sense - in terms of art deco.

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Edward Scissor Hands Movie Review.

Fig. 1 Film Poster.

From the most renowned director of the ages, Tim Burton
brings us this iconic example of how a little act of kindness can go a long
way. There are always ways to show kindness. But Peg, the main protagonist, a
woman who’s main job is representing the make-up company Avon and going from
door to door helping the neighbor with their appearances. Upon unsuccessfully
marketing more sales, she decides to venture up to the dark and gloomy mansion
on top of a hill that does not seem to fit the brightly coloured set. (See
figure 2).

Fig. 2 Street with pasty coloured houses and cars.

The mansion is owned by an inventor who built Edward. The strange
yet misunderstood creature of a man that upon being approached by Peg says
nothing, and as Gielberman analyses. “He
almost never says anything, and when he does, the voice that comes out is
shockingly soft and delicate, full of a child's serene wonder.”
(Gielberman, 1990). The sweet, innocent eyes of this monstrous design, really
brings out Tim Burton’s motives. The idea that the beast can ‘’capture’’ the
beauty, allow herself to be charmed by his strangeness, his oddity. However,
upon being admitted into the neighbor scene, Edward his derived as a strange,
but simple creature who gives very good haircuts for beast (the dogs) and themselves,
as wells as an artist at garden structures.

When Peg brings Edward home he acts just as he would with
the persona of a child, innocent and full of wonder, being curious about
everything he almost breaks everything that he touches. When he is discovered
by the ‘’chickens’’, or the women that live in the neighborhood, he is used as
a tool and exploited due to his scissor hands. He gets treated like a child and
he seems alright with that. It seems that Tim Burton has been balancing out
proportions in terms of this film is the nature of acceptance that is so
perfectly balanced at times it shows Tim Burton’s sensitive use of secondary
commentary to infer something other than “do not judge a book by it’s cover”.
As Peter Travers describes, ‘’Burton's
richly entertaining update of the Frankenstein story is the year's most comic,
romantic and haunting film fantasy. ‘’ (Travers, 2001) It seems that the
theme of the film is three colours, but so can everyone else. In that sense no
one is being original and the atmosphere becomes repeated and bland. As it was in
the year the film was set [1950-60’s].

In all honesty, Edward Scissor hands is a Frankenstein meets
Beauty and the Beast. With the introduction of Peg’s oldest daughter Kim,
brings new light to strange tale. Edward doesn’t understand the feelings that
he is experiencing with Kim as he has only ever experienced it with is
creator/father. She falls in love with him regardless of his appearance and
even after the incident with her ex. As Chris Cabin describes, His Gothic tones
always mask a feeling of wonder and an endearing love for everything that is
possible in life and death,’’ (Cabin, 2005). (See figure 3).

To summarize, this film has been a very strange experience,
but a wondrous film to watch. It has that same charm as a Christmas film as
well as a horror and the classic romance.

Monday, 10 November 2014

So I seemed to have been lost in a spiral downwards in progress and after photoshop tutorial today I think I get the gist. I made number 76 in response to the other thumbnails. I wish to use the other thumbnails but as I didn't make them I can only refer to them.

About Me

Hello everyone!
My name is Julia I am a graduate student with a degree in Computer Animation Arts. I have choosen to start freelancing while I build my skills. I want to develop and become a stronger artist.